The Uncanny Nature of Nuclear Science and Technology

Abstract

One of the most consistent aspects of the stories told about nuclear science and technology is the uncanny nature of nuclear reactions. This technology embodies unsettling paradoxes: natural yet unnatural, invisible but deadly, miniscule yet unimaginably powerful. To address the emotional aspects of this uncanny presence of the atomic age, stories have been told that both make nuclear familiar, and make nuclear even more strange. We examine some stories here which we hope will allow us to better understand how and why people perceive nuclear in the present and may also help to more effectively engage in communication about nuclear technology. It is tempting to posit a simple lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of the science of nuclear energy, but correcting misinformation with facts has been the approach of advocates for decades, and still, opposition persists. This presentation will show that the stories being told about nuclear reinforce fear and misunderstanding. Stories are powerful tools that humans use to understand the world around us, and examining some of the stories told about nuclear will help us understand how and why nuclear energy is popularly perceived today.